Buying treated timber from B&Q - Can it be stained immediately?

[dominoman]

I've bought B&Q feathered fencing to make some repairs to an existing fence.

I read somewhere that pressure treated wood shouldn't be stained or painted for several months so that the treatment has time to dry out totally.

Is that correct? Would the wood you buy in B&Q normally be ready to paint or stain straight away or should i wait? It doesn't appear to be damp but I don't really know. I'd like to stain it to match the rest of the fence.

 

[Deleted member 174758]

It is correct. The pressure treatment uses an oily compound to preserve the timber. I'd normally not stain timber for at kleast three months after installing to avoid blotchiness which can otherwise occur (although it does depend on how long the stuff has lain on the shelf - I generally buy directly from a firm which have their own pressure treatment unit so it generally comes "drippingly fresh")

 

[AronSearle]

Paints and stains don't like wet wood, the pressure treatments are usually water based, and fencing/cheap timbers have poor moisture control.

Assuming the timber is 10-20mm thick, it will dry in a few weeks if exposed to good airflow.

 

[dominoman]

OK. Thanks. Will leave it a few weeks then. The panels are the thin overlapping panels so at the thickest point only 7mm or so, so hopefully won't take long to dry now that they are up.